British forces captured a Dutch ship of the line and 30 merchant vessels off Anguilla, strengthening British dominance in the Caribbean during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 4 February 1781
- Dutch ship of the line
- Mars (60 guns)
- Convoy size captured
- 30 merchantmen
- Duration of engagement
- approximately 30 minutes
- British commander
- Captain Francis Reynolds
- Dutch commander
- Schout-bij-nacht Willem Krul (killed in action)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following Admiral George Rodney's capture of the Dutch colony of Sint Eustatius in the opening stages of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, British intelligence identified a Dutch convoy of 30 merchantmen escorted by the 60-gun ship of the line Mars under Schout-bij-nacht Willem Krul. Rodney dispatched Captain Francis Reynolds with a squadron of two ships of the line and a frigate to intercept it.
On 4 February 1781, Reynolds' squadron caught the Dutch convoy off Sombrero near Anguilla. The British ships engaged Mars in a cannonade lasting approximately 30 minutes. Outgunned and outmatched, Krul was killed during the action, and Mars struck her colours. The 30 merchant vessels in the convoy, left without protection, were all seized.
The captured Mars and all 30 merchantmen were brought back to British territory, further consolidating British naval and commercial dominance in the Caribbean. The action deprived the Dutch of a significant convoy and a ship of the line, compounding the losses already suffered with the fall of Sint Eustatius.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain Francis Reynolds.
Side B
1 belligerent
Schout-bij-nacht Willem Krul.